Cuervo, a recovering addict herself, sets up a table full of pamphlets on addiction recovery, suicide prevention and available emergency services. She also offers Bibles, other Christian literature and information on her church, Pillar of Fire Fellowship.

She does far more than just sit there with documents, though.

“I just ask people if they would like to pray. I pick Thursday mornings because it’s drug court day and I want to pray they’re in recovery. Some of them say yes, some of them say no,” she said.

“I just say a 30-second prayer, and that’s it,” Cuervo continued. “Sometimes they come back the following week and pray again. It’s an awesome testimony to the greatness of God in my life and what He does in everybody’s life every day.”

OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Nancy Cuervo of Courtside Ministries and Pillar of Fire Fellowship stands at her outreach table Thursday in front of City Hall. At right is Kevin O’Brien, a friend, fellow Pillar of Fire member and recovering addict.

Cuervo works on behalf of Courtside Ministries, a group started by a Colorado Springs, Colorado lawyer to offer help and resources for people in drug court. It now does its work at 110 locations in 19 states. Cuervo’s effort near City Hall is Courtside Ministries’ first outreach effort in New York.

Cuervo found out about Courtside Ministries last winter and was inspired by its mission.

“I went to Florida earlier this year and I had to go to the courthouse. There was a gentleman outside who was handing out pamphlets and talking about God. I used to make fun of him back in the day, ‘Look at this guy, he’s a fool,'” she laughed, “but I changed my mind. I’m a recovering addict, I’ve been six years clean.”

The man was a Courtside Ministries representative and got her interested in his work. Back in Dunkirk, she asked the board of her church, Pillar of Fire Fellowship, if they would support her working in this area on behalf of the organization. With their approval, she started ministering outside City Hall in April.

Since then, she’s gotten to know a lot of people in downtown Dunkirk. A chat with her at her table recently was constantly interrupted by shouted greetings, people coming up to say hi and impromptu prayer circles.

“I’m always open for business,” she said. “Whether I’m here or not, people have my number. I just love this. I get to see people I prayed for. They come back and give us testimony (to God).” Cuervo added she also sees some of them at the Narcotics Anonymous meetings she chairs.

She is usually joined at her table by fellow Pillar of Fire members who are also in drug addiction recovery and can help her encourage others with the same problems.

“I have literature that I can give them, I can suggest outpatient programs, but the most important thing I can do at that point in time is tell them where I come from, that God has changed my life, and that recovery is possible,” she said. “You just need somebody to believe in you. A lot of people that are out in the street that are using, a lot of them don’t believe that there is a God. They need to know God can and will help them get through this.”

Cuervo will not be at City Hall for a couple weeks as she recovers from surgery. However, she plans to be back this winter, through the worst of the cold and the snow, with a practical adaptation: She’ll hang out in the back of her hatchback with her materials rather than set up a table out in the open. In the spring, she’d like to increase her time in front of City Hall to two days a week.

As she said goodbye, Cuervo emphasized how committed she is to helping people experiencing the darkness of drug addiction.

“I couldn’t be clean and sober without God,” she said, choking back a sob. “I do this because I have to keep it together. God is good.”